Planoqhaph co



w. T. DURHAM.

SNAP HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED APR-2.1918.

I ,308,055. Patented July 1, 1919.

attozuag THE COLUMBIA PMNOURAPH C0 WASHINGTON, D. C.

"WITED M TA P T T orifice WILLIAM r. DURHAM, on nines SPRING, SOUTH CAROLINA.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J ly 1 1919 A praiseampere,1 1s. setrainwater To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, W LLIAM T. DURHAM, a citizen of the .UnitcdStates, residing at Ridge Spring, in the county of Saluda and State of South Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Snap-Hooks, of which the following is aspecification. This invention relates to snap hooks, and particularly to snap hooks of that type formed from a single piece ofspring Wire. One object of the inventionisto provide a construction giving maximum strength, simplicity and durability, and whichproducos a substantially flat andcompact form of snap hook. I I y y Another object ofthe invention is to pro vide a construction which obviates the use of spring coils or ties between theparts, and which affords increasedstrength and durability by disposing the hook and tongue in close proximity to the bodyofthe snap hook. I

A still further objectofthe invention is to providea constructionin which parts or the body and bill cooperatetolform a connecting loop, wherebya loop of increased strength is produced. and spreading of the parts thereof prevented.

The inventlon cons sts of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully describcdfand claimed, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a snap hook constructed vention.

Fig. 2 is a sidejelevation of the strap hook. Fig. 3 is a face or top fplan v1ew=of the same.

at its narrow end with a backturned hook and at its wide end with aconnecting or strap receiving loop, together with a tongue arranged for cooperationwith the hook, the body and tongue having complemcntal portions forming the .1 saidstrap receiving or connecting loop, all of the parts being formed from a properly bent piece of spring wire.

As shown, the wire of which the snap hook is composed is bent to provide a-bod y consisting of a pair of longitudinally extending main arms 1 and 2, which converge in a direction toward the hook end of the in accordancewith my in snap hook. The converging endsof these arms 1 and 2 are arranged in close relationship and arcconnected by adoiibled portion ofthe Wire,.said doubled portion of the Wire being formed to provide a substantially U- shaped hook This hook 3; extendsover the converging ends of the arms 1 and 2 in close relationship thereto and substantially parallel therewith,by which arrangement the hook is made comparatively short and dis posed so as to lie closet6 the main arms, thus avoiding objectionable spacing of the hook from the frame and securing greater compactness and increased strength and rigidity ofthehooln y I a The arm 1 is substantially straight throughout, and atthe wide end oflthc frame i.s;bc11t at right angles toward the arm 2 to provide a lower cross piece 4, thence bent forwardly atright angles or award the 1100113 to provide a short a1'1n5 lying beneaththe adjacentor rear, end of the arm 2; and thence rebent backward at right angles towardthe arm 1 and across the spacebetween the arms 1. and 2to provide an intermediate crosspiece 6. This cross piece Gisspaced from andarranged parallel; with the lower rear cross piece 4. and cooperates-with rear end offtlie arm 2 and an; upper cross piece 7 v bent laterally therefrom to form an oblong rectangularconnecting or strap receiving loop 8.

Thearm l is I substantially straight or bases portions lying substantially in the same plane throughout, but the intermediate portion'of the arm 2 is bent upward at a slightyangle, as shown at 9, above the plane of the plal ie of theintermediate portion of thearm l, so aslto dispose the rear end 10 of said arm2 above the plane of the arm 1 so that it will overlie and rest upon the short arm 5 andcoiiperate therewith to form one side of the strap receiving loop 8. The cross piece 7 is bent at right angles to the portion 10 of thearm 2 and extends over tllBlOWGIf cross piece 4; to form therewith the rearcrossbar of the loop 8 the arrange ment being also suchthat the loop forming portions of. the arms 1 and 2 lie substan tially in parallel nelation thus rendering the snap hook substantially flat and of compact form at the loop end.

The parts 4, 5a11d Garo formed by one terminal of the wlre extending from the arm 1, and the other terminal of the wire extending from the free end 01% the cross piece 7 projects forwardly from the loop 8 toward the hook 3 in the form of a spring tongue 11 which. is arranged to bear at its free end against the underside of the bill of the hook. As shown, the tongue 11 extendsinwardly at an angle from the inner end of the cross piece 7 toward the hook so as to lieat its free end centrally, between the converging ends of the arms 1 and 2, the said free end of the tongue being provided with an inbentterminal 12 forming a latchor detent. extending across the throat of the hook 3 to close the same when the hook is engaged with an object and prevent disconnection of. the snap hook therefrom. This detent or latch- 12 has. its freeend projecting downwardly into the space betweenthe converging endsof the arms 1 and 2, andthus is adapted toserve as astop to limitthe lateral movement of. the tongue 11 and prevent the tongue from being forcedlaterallyoutwardrto an.

inoperative position.

In practice, the. snap. hook. is preferably formed from a single piece of round wire galvanized, nickel-plated, japanned or otherwise treated to protect. it fr.omrust, and it will be understood that in practice the wire may be of any desired gage according to the sizetof the snap hookand the strength and rigidity which it is intended it to have.

' In the use of the snaphook, the endof the strap or other harness member or part to which the hook is to be attached is passed, through andTcQnneeted with the. loop 8, the snap hook-then being employed in the usual manner .to connect saidstrap or other part witlran article towhich .itis to be coupled. It. will be apparent fromthe foregoing de scrlption that the construction issuchthat the snap hook maybe readily held in the hands and the. tongueidepressed by means of the thumb orpressure of the object to be engaged thereon, thus allowing the tongue to be readily; forced, open for the connection or disconnection of the object, while the closing of the throat ofthehook by the 'de-- tent, 12 will secure absolute safety andpre vent disconnection of the object from. the hook until such object is intentionally released.

Important advantages arising from my construction are, among others, that the snap hook as a whole is made in a compact shape and comparatively flat. form, thusenabling it. to be conveniently packedin close com-'- pass, and also adapting it to lie snugly in contact with the parts, to be coupled. Also it will .be seenthat thestrap orpart coupled to the loop 8 will be connected with doubled portions of the wires, giving increased secur- Gopies ot this patent :may belebtained for struction described it will also be evident that the hook 3 is arranged to lie close to the body of the snap hook, thus increasing its strength andv rigidity of connection, while at the same time giving compactness to this portion of the device. Furthermore, it will be seen that the use of ties for holding parts of the snap hook in relative position is avoided,. thus simplifying the construction, and that the use of a spring coil is also obviated, thus reducing the sizeof the snap hook and avoiding the bunglesome appearance incidentv to the use of' ordinary wire snap hooks provided with coils. The simplicity of construction of my improved snap hook also adapts it to be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low cost.

. Having thus fully described my invention, I claim I 1. A bent wire hook consisting of a loop, of which the side members extend divergently from the hook bill to form a shank, of which the sides are rebent in opposite directions andin parallel planes to form respectively an attaching eye and a hook closing terminal, of which the latter extends unobstructedly from the outer side of said eye to the hook and terminates in a throat closing element disposed perpendicularly to the plane of said divergent side members.

2. A snap hookrformedof a single strand of-wire bent upon itself at'an intermediate point to provide a pair of arms diverging from the bending point, the portions of said arms near. the point of bending being curved in thegeneral direction of the arms and forming a 'bill, the said strand near the end of one of said arms being bent transversely, rearwardly and inwardly to provide a loop of substantiallyrectangular shape and oil'set from the arm of which it is a part, the other arm extending over and lying upon the said backwardly bent portion and then being bent so as to overlie the said transversely bent portion, the remainder of the said arm being then bent sons to provide a spring tongue overlying apart of the first mentioned arm and. having its end. disposed within and against the bill, and the extremity of said tongue being bent at substantially right angles-to the body thereof and. disposed between the divergent ends of the arms and closing'the end of the bill.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM T. DURHAM.

vWashington, 13.1 3. 

